Monthly Archives: July 2014

Maybe I’m a dreamer, but I’ve always wondered about the success of DreamWorks’ Dragons franchise. Is it the fact that we are obsessed with dragons? Maybe. A good example of this is the success of TheHobbit trilogy, based on a children’s book about a small hobbit who was charged with saving 13 dwarves from eminent destruction at the claws of a vicious, enormous jeweled reptile.

I would say that this is a good time for fantasy, especially that which involve large, fire-breathing dragons. And that’s only the beginning. The books from which the series is based depicts dragons that shoot smoke rings, jets of boiling water, a sonic blast, bolts of electricity, and in one case, waves of ice. The imagination of the writer and the animators blend so sublimely that it makes a breathtaking display.

That’s another thing. Animation has opened up a whole new world for fantasy. From Star Wars to Lord of the Rings to Maleficent, this is the age of imagination. Some fantasies are wicked and misleading. But others can be beautiful and amazing.

References to Norse gods aside, the success of DreamWorks’ Dragons isn’t hard to see. Breathtaking scenery, amazing flight scenes, beautiful, life-like characters and places, and wonderful stories: there’s so much to like! But there seems to be more to this success story than meets the eye.

What is it about these dragons that captures the imaginations of so many? I have a friend whom I affectionately think of whenever I think about dragons. She loves them even more than I do. Yes, these dragons have made a name for themselves in our culture. They have soared into our lives and have become symbols of freedom and what is possible. So far they have also been clean, and I hope that they stay that way, despite the influences of those who think marriage is only what you want it to be.

But there has to be something! The popularity of these flying dinosaurs is due to more than their amazing designs, their lovable characters, and their breathtaking fight scenes. Hasn’t every other fantasy tried to do the same?

I cannot say that everyone loves dragons for the same reason, but I will relate my own experience. When I first was told of a sequel to How to Train your Dragon, I was skeptical. As a girl who has two brothers closest to herself, I am as squeamish about romance as any boy. Though I don’t cover my eyes, as do some of my brothers, when they see a kiss, I’d rather not see one. So I decided that it might be good to skip it. “I’ve got the series to look forward to. Why should I waste my time for something that might turn out to be a cheesy romance?”

But my mind was changed. As I sat in the theater, getting ready to watch God’s Not Dead, they played the commercials, and I thought “Great, more nothing.” But as coal-black dragon blasted onto the screen, I watched in spite of myself. This was the first time I had seen a flight on a large theater screen (We relied on Netflix for the first one) and I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

As Toothless soared, I felt like I was soaring as well. This was more amazing than anything else that I saw that day. Through the whole movie (which was amazing, in case you are wondering) I thought of that five minute or more commercial. As the altitude grew, my spirits soared. How could I refuse? The natural inclination of man to soar above his surroundings was awakened, and I longed to leave this earth behind.

Not on the wings of a dragon. Not in the seats of a jet or aircraft. Neither of these is high enough. Not even a space-ship could fulfill this longing. I think I understand the builders of the Tower of Babel: “Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)

Our souls want to go above, but our sin keeps us from God. It seems like we are unable to fulfill this desire, because of our lack of wings. Maybe that’s why we are so drawn to Dragons: to fly on the wings of a dragon, high in the clouds, so close to God. But since the dragons have died out (as far as I know) we don’t have that option. I suppose that our craving for flight will never be satisfied by these fake substitutes, and it shouldn’t be. I suppose it will never be completely satisfied until death, when all things shall be satisfied.

Have you ever seen a patchwork quilt? I’m not saying the ones that are completely planned with brand-new fabric straight from the fabric store, or the ones that are on display in shows.

I’m talking about a patchwork quilt. After making clothes for their families, pioneer women would have some scraps left over. After saving the scraps for a while, they would combine them with worn out old clothes and other people’s scraps to make a large, beautiful quilt. They would put the cloth in a pattern and often it would last longer than the clothes that it was made out of.

In the last couple of weeks, I have been with several people, working with them, learning with them, and in some cases teaching them. One thing that can make people get together is a play. What a colorful patchwork that can be! Homeschooled and Public Schooled, from Corpus-Christi to Houston and everywhere in between. Some are obnoxious, a few have diseases or mental issues, and a few have (horror!) crushes on other actors. All these things can grind down on your ‘togetherness.’

But the director won’t let it fall apart. He wants to put this play into motion even more than you do, and he’ll make sure that everyone can work together. People fight, accidents happen, but our director was able to pull people from all backgrounds and of all talents together to make a big picture. Like patchwork. There were actors, good dancers and a few who could only sing, but they were all used in one way or the other.

And, Ok, it wasn’t perfect. My brother spent most of the first week saying how terrible it was and how it couldn’t ever change. Some people (including me) didn’t get the part they wanted: in fact I didn’t have much of a part at all. But we made a place for ourselves by putting a face on a character that otherwise would have been unknown. There were also the parts that nobody sees: meaning the people who make sure the others come out of the doors at the right times. Those small “parts” kept the production clean, even though you will never get credit for them.

Red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in his sight. We live all over the place. Some of us will never see each other again. For some of us that’s good. But the two weeks that we worked together will all be impressed in our minds. Whenever we find a program or wear our tee-shirts with the play name, we’ll remember. When we see each other again we’ll remember the wonderful patchwork that was formed, when so many different children came together.

People today have an obsession of believing in themselves. If someone is to say that they feel sad, or that they feel like they can’t do anything right, or that they feel like a failure, people tell them:

“Don’t feel like that! You’re special!”

“You’re amazing!”

“You’re fine the way you are!”

But this is deceiving. As a matter of fact, you’re not special. You’re not someone amazing. You are a dirty failure. You’re a dreadful sinner, and you can’t do anything right, except through grace.

No one can. From the most well-known philanthropist, to the most infamous man all are evil. Telling someone that they are special the way they are is a lie.

Do not misunderstand. The Bible tells us that we are made in the image of God, and are His special creations. (Gen. 1:26-28, Ps. 139:14). He sent His Son to die for us because he loves us. But think about that for a second. He sent HIS Son, to die FOR us, because we are sinners.

The Bible tells us that this is most definitely not of our own doing (Eph. 2:9) but because He loved us. So then are we special? Well yes. God loves us. That makes us special. But that’s not the same kind of special. No one is amazing in and of themselves. God is who makes us special. It is only because of God that we can do any good.

Some people don’t like this. Some people think that it ruins self-confidence, that it makes it hard for a person to then trust themselves. But that’s preposterous. If a person feels like they are a failure, and that they can’t do anything right, then how on earth will telling them that they are fine, and amazing the way they are help them?

They can obviously see that they are not fine. This will only increase the depression. Point them to God, and what God has done for them. Every success you have, everything you do, praise God for it. Every time you feel down, and like a failure, remember that you are, remember that by yourself you can never be anything but that. However also remember that Jesus loves you. He alone can cleanse you. Don’t just think of yourself as beautiful, and amazing, think of how Jesus’s love can make you so. Give God the glory, not yourself.

King Elessar is a writer, Whovian, and Lord of the Rings guru who enjoys discussing theology, grammar, and pelicans.

Jefferson the liberal and Obama the liberal have next to nothing in common.

If you’re a libertarian, you have likely had this conversation dozens of times:

“Are you a republican?”

“No, I’m a libertarian.”

“So you’re a liberal?”

Technically, yes and no. This exchange is a case in point: advocates for the cause of freedom don’t really know what to call themselves anymore.

Many Americans don’t know what they’re really saying when it comes to political terms, warped, twisted, and misused for decades to fit party agendas.

The best example of a confused term is liberalism.

Thomas Jefferson was considered a liberal; Barack Obama is also considered a liberal. Yet the two presidents are opposites.

Jefferson:

“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”

“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.” — Thomas Jefferson

Obama:

“Unfortunately, you’ve grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that’s at the root of all our problems … They’ll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices.”

“I actually believe in redistribution.” – Barack Obama

If eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, as Jefferson tells us, why is Obama saying the exact opposite? Why does Jefferson so adamantly oppose gun control while Obama is chomping at the bit to stifle the right to keep and bear arms?

Are they different reincarnations of a specific ideology? Are the two types of liberalism one and the same, merely placed in a different political environment? Or has liberalism evolved?

No, no, and no.

Obama’s liberalism and Jefferson’s liberalism are not remotely similar. They share nothing except the name.

One is liberal with freedom, the other is liberal with government. In modern political speak, it’s classical liberalism vs. modern liberalism.

Jefferson would be considered “conservative” and “right-wing” in 2014.

Here’s some perspective on political terms:

King George III was conservative, by the classical definition of the word. However, Jefferson the “conservative” was one of the King’s most passionate and emboldened enemies.

Nazis were technically “right-wing,” promoting a form of fascism similar, although drastically darker and more harmful, to the variety that drove the American colonies to secede in 1776.

The discrepancy between the classical and modern definitions reveals a disturbing trend in political thought.

When voters have a guiding sense of morals and a well-defined ideology, they know which party is right or wrong, which causes they support, and which issues are really issues.

However, the majority of people lack these political necessities. They rely on terms including left-wing, right-wing, conservative, liberal, and progressive to know who to vote for.

It might work, except that parties tend to change the meaning of these words every fifty years or so.

This confusion over terms has made it impossible for those known as libertarians to identify themselves as liberals (and just to clarify, here we’re referring to Jeffersonian liberals, the classical liberals). Alas, it’s an unfortunate reality.

But next time someone tells you they’re a libertarian, don’t associate them with modern “liberalism” – much less democrats. If for anything else, it’s useful to understand the difference between classical liberalism and modern liberalism if you are studying history books published before 1850.

The word conservatism now refers to something akin to Locke’s ideology, not Mussolini’s; liberalism refers to a variant of Stalin’s creed, not Jefferson’s cause.

In the end, how can Thomas Jefferson and Barack Obama both be liberals? They can’t. The first is a liberal, the other is a statist.

Anointed One

Many people have questions on what makes Jesus the Messiah.

And yet it isn’t very hard to see the telltale signs that Jesus is King. To explore some more in-depth conclusions, I will try to explain the monumental messianic prophecies that prove who the true Messiah is.

The Messiah had to have been in existence at the beginning of time; he must have seen the creation of the Earth. In John 1:1, it says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is Jesus Christ: He was here in the beginning and will be forever, past the frontiers of time and space.

I have been doing research on the subject, and it’s clear that Jesus has been present in stories throughout the Bible. He has been hiding in plain sight throughout the old testament.

In Genesis 22:13, “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a lamb caught by its horns. He went over and took the lamb and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.”

“The Lamb Was Sacrificed as an offering to God,” it says; the only person mentioned as a lamb in the Bible is Jesus. He is the spotless lamb who sacrificed himself for our sins. And just like the lamb sacrificed for Abraham’s son, Jesus was sacrificed for us. There is much similar symbolic significance throughout the Old Testament

Jesus also is found in Genesis often. In Genesis 21:17-18, ” And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.'” Jesus is the Angel of God; He has been here throughout time, comforting us all. Jesus is omnipresent. He is here, there, and everywhere all at the same time.

Messianic Prophecies

A Messianic prophecy is a prediction of who the Christ will be and what and how He will present himself.

The scriptures made it clear that the Messiah was to be born of a Virgin, and in Isaiah 7:14 it says “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

In Matthew 1:22-23, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call.” Jesus was this Son, the only man in the world who was born of a virgin — Jesus of Nazareth.

The prophets proclaimed that the Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted, to heal all wounds, to raise the dead, feed the hungry and lead people towards God. In these verses are proof that Jesus has done them all!

In Isaiah 61:1-2 ” The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.”

This passage from the Bible said that the Lord is here to heal all broken hearts and to catch every tear that falls from every cheek. In Mark 8:25, “Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”

This verse shows that Jesus not only came to heal you spiritually, but physically as well. In Matthew 5:40-43, “But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand) and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this,and told them to give her something to eat.”

Jesus brought back to life a dead girl by just His voice. He has shown that He can raise the dead by the power of His voice, fulfillment of prophecies in its own right.

In Matthew 14:18-21,“‘Bring them here to me,’ he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.” This verse says that Jesus in fact can feed the hungry no matter the number, and by all these passages they also say that Jesus can lead. Jesus is the true Messiah.

Other prophecies say that the Messiah was to be falsely accused (Psalms 35:11, Mark 14:57-58), that He was to be crucified rather than a criminal (Isaiah 53:7 , Mark 15:4-5) , and that He was to be mocked many times (Psalms 22:7-8,Luke 23:35) . It has all come to pass.

Tell Tale Messiah

There are over a thousand messianic prophecies that tell who the Messiah really is, and the only person who fits those descriptions is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ fits those prophecies because He is the direct description of them. He shows the telltale signs throughout the Bible, in the Old and New Testament, and in the lives and testimonies of people throughout history.

He cannot be faked; He fit all descriptions of the Messiah, and for you (or anyone other than Christ) to fit just one of those descriptions is impossible. Jesus is here to present to you a gift of forgiveness and everlasting life in His perfect footsteps, and one aspect of the proof that this is true is that the Biblical prophecies have been fulfilled.

In John 20:31, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Jesus is Messiah because of all the miracles, blessings, prayers, words, and His sacrifice so that He can see us to heaven even when we have miserably, utterly failed Him.

The Devil’s Play

This is something I wrote to describe why Jesus died for us.

The Devil is staring at the world, smiling in a mischievous way; He knows what is happening to it.

Devil: If they continue this, then the world will soon be mine to control. It will soon come to where floods and whales won’t stop them from continuing their paths.

Jesus walks next to him and sits calmly on a bench, watching the Church perform deeds in His Father’s name and for His Father’s glory. He smiles.

Devil: Do you see it?

Jesus: What?

Devil: The bet I made is coming true before your eyes, this world only cares about what they can do to fight you. They are all going to turn against you soon. If you continue this, they will overthrow you.

Jesus: Not all people.

Devil: But most. Cain, for instance.

Jesus: Abel.

Devil: Goliath.

Jesus: David.

The devil looks at the world again; this time he is whispering something to them. Jesus knows what Satan is doing — he is trying to throw doubt in their minds,and with a flick of a finger Jesus writes a letter to them. He writes a history — His story — of many beautiful beginnings, astounding miracles, and acts of faith. He closes the book and put a name in bold letters “The Holy Bible” He copies it and sends it to the Earth. With a smile He knows soon that people will read this story.

Devil: What do you see in them?

Jesus: What you don’t. Let me take them from you — because I see beautiful people made by my Father. How much do you want?

Devil: Your life.

Jesus: Done.

The love letter Jesus sent to earth converted many people, and the Devil saw that there was more power in Jesus then he realized. Jesus,in order to stop evil from pushing the barriers of good, sacrificed himself to cleanse people of the bad things they’ve done. When He drew His last breath, people cried. For they knew that the man who died was really the Messiah.

Jesus died for you, even knowing the bad things you done. He is the Messiah. He saw the potential in you, a sinner. He saw that you could be perfect in Christ. So if you ever want to know what makes Him the Messiah…

When the phrase “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it” was coined, I wonder if the world was in as much trouble as it is now. Admit it, we seem to have forgotten our history. If you asked a child to tell you who walked on the moon, or who Adolf Hitler was, they might not be able to tell you. What happened? Are we so caught up in our History that we have forgotten that of the rest of the world? Why have we let history slip through our fingers?

Is it because we refuse to listen to those who have gone before us? Or is it because the past was so painful that we would rather forget it? There is pain and heartbreak with every era of the world; that’s just a result of the fall. But to forget that pain is even worse. If we let the evil fade into nothingness, you will also lose the good. You’ll lose the heroes who quietly and not so quietly made a difference, who put everything on the line and sometimes died for their cause.

Why would we be so ready to forget these heroes? Corrie Ten Boom, John Bunyan, Richard Wurmbrand, etc. The heroes of the American Revolution, the martyrs of the Reign of Terror in France, the Cheokee who died on the Trail of Tears, the Jews and Christians and other “undesirables” who were slaughtered in the Holocaust and Soviet Concentration Camps. Those people had hopes, dreams, identities, and names. Most of them have been forgotten. The only one we remember is the one who started it all, a depraved and terrible man named Hitler.

There was once a movement to preserve history by keeping some buildings destroyed, some sites unchanged, some land unsold. There was once a time when we remembered all that we had done, the good and the bad, as a model for our children to look upon and be wise. Like the monuments that Joshua set up in his time, these sites were preserved as a warning of what might happen.

But memories are painful. Sometimes it’s easier just to pretend that it didn’t happen. Maybe if we erase history, it will just be a bad dream. Forget the pain, that didn’t happen anyway. Those people were bad, so we will erase their memory.

But in truth, our world stands on their shoulders.

Whether for good or bad, each person’s life makes a difference. We cannot help it: our lives affect others. Our society, and that of other nations, stands on the shoulders of imperfect men. By trying to forget them all, we dishonor the heroes and empower the ideas of the villains. Though they are dead, their legacy, whether of death or life, will live on as long as they are remembered. However, the bad ideas are more potent, because of sin, because when they are “forgotten”, it is not they who are forgotten but their effects. Forgotten Evil will always return, that is why it must be thought of as a warning.

Because of sin, we cannot afford to forget those who fought and died for the Truth, because if we do their lives would be in vain. Never, never let that happen! It would be better if we had never been born, than if we live to dishonor the deaths of those who lived for us, the next generation, on whose shoulders we stand. The good, the bad, and the extremely wicked all leave a mark. Let’s hope that the mark of the righteous stands, long after that of the ambitious evil fades. Remember the Rangers who defended you, and the Innocents who died for you. Do not forget your history.

Suppose for a minute that you’re me and you are in Sunday School. Not that the lesson is boring, but your mind starts to wander and you begin to read the whole chapter 8 of second Corinthians because well, it’s there. If you’re not the kind of person who does this, this will seem irrational, but if you are, you understand completely.

But while I was reading chapter 8, I came to a strange little verse. The chapter is about giving, but this verse just seemed to pop out at me. “But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.” (2 Corinthians 8:7) It’s interesting that this letter, which seems to be an argument in progress, should have a verse about the people excelling in everything. Was he kidding?

Isn’t this the same church that was always arguing inside itself? The one that had so many problems? Well, it sort of makes sense when you read that the chapter is about a gift for the Jerusalem Church. The Corinthians were wealthy, and they seemed to be best at everything. But it was Grace that they needed, mercy for their brothers, and that Grace manifested itself in giving.

In this world, Grace is rare. In this world we try to replace it with tolerance, but anything is a bad substitute for Grace. We try to be the best, but Honor and Grace are the best things that we should excel at, not knowledge and power and wealth or wisdom or anything, if we can only choose one, it should be faith, but Grace is close. So what is Grace?

Grace used to mean gift. In Greek, it would be charis, a gift, not earned, a thing that brings joy, pleasure, sweetness, the kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them. What an amazing word. Grace is a gift that you give to others because of your love for them, whether or not they deserve it. Actually, true Grace can only be undeserved.

In this fallen world we need to be gracious, not tolerant, loving, not selfish, honest, not shrinking. We need to be willing to take a stand for what we believe, but not like someone on a soccer field. If we are victorious? Be gracious. If we lose the battle (though we will never lose the war, because our champion is with us) we will be discouraged, sure, but we cannot take that out on the victors. We must excel in this Grace. What is Grace? Speaking the truth in love is a good start. Yes, I think that it fits just fine.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”-Reinhold Niebuhr

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” -Genesis 1:1-3

The Big Bang’s Confusion

The Big Bang Theory is thought by many astronomers to be the beginnings of the Earth. The astronomical explanation of this theory is that the universe originated sometime between 10 billion and 20 billion years ago, from the cataclysmic explosion of a small volume of matter — at extremely high density and temperature.

This theory claims that out of nothing came something.

This theory claims that all we know today comes from a small, highly compressed mass of hydrogen atoms exploding, which in turn allegedly created us.

No matter the situation, it’s human nature to be skeptical. It’s also in our nature to make things work, to force puzzle pieces so we can explain it our way. But in the end, one either believes in eternal matter or an eternal God.

The theory of evolution alleges that we have evolved from apes — and yet the only solid evidence for this theory is the missing link between us and them.

Seriously? You have all this evidence towards ‘evolution’ and you have fossils that are millions of years old but you can’t find the hundreds of links necessary to support your claim?

That makes no sense. That is a forced puzzle piece.And as for the Big Bang Theory, where is the evidence? There is none.

There is not a single piece of evidence supporting this well-known theory that we all came from an exploding star. An exploding star’s dust created the world? Something doesn’t seem right.

Scientists want to believe they are omniscient by avoiding the answer that will always be lying in front of them: God is real.

We are not from stardust, nor are we from an exploding hydrogen atom.

We are from something that scientists see right in front of them. The blank pieces to the Theories of Evolution and the Big Bang are not a mystery, but a dead end.

The blank pieces to the theories of evolution and the big bang are not a mystery, but a dead end.

There is no evolution. There is no Big Bang theory.

A man named Robert Sawyer is an atheist scientist, and although I looked everywhere this is likely the closest an evolutionist has ever gotten to the truth; He said, “There is no indisputable proof for the big bang,’ said Hollus. ‘And there is none for evolution. And yet you accept those. Why hold the question of whether there is a creator to a higher standard?'”

Although he only believes in “science,” there were things that he said that made sense.

Is there a higher power? The answer: yes.

God is the only omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent being. Ever.He is the One who makes everything from nothing. But the question is,”How?”.

Not From Stardust.

God looked upon the world and saw that it was filled with nothing. So He decided to create the world. With a powerful voiceHe said,”Let There Be…” and so it was.

We are not descendants of apes but of man and man alone, as God ordained it to be. God created us all with the power of His voice, using the dust from the ground.

We are not made of stardust, but of the voice of God.

I call this reality the Big Bam Fact.

With the Big Bam Fact, we have all questions answered. What are we made from? How was the world created? Do we evolve from apes? How is this true?

What Are We Made From?

When God created us, He made us special. We are the only creatures in this world that are in the image of God.

He made us so that when He looked down upon us He saw His children. But the main question is,”What are we made from?” We were created from the dust of the earth, not of stars.

In Psalms 103:14it says “For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” We were made by God,He is so powerful that He built us with His voice. There are more verses that say this as well.

“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” -Genesis 3:19

“All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.” -Ecclesiastes 3:20

How Was The World Created?

The world was created by the voice of God; He saw the whole galaxy with out any shape and spoke to bring it to life.

In Genesis 1:1-3, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

That is the Big Bam Fact. God said it and …BAM… it was.

It was not hydrogen exploding. It was only the voice of God. It did not take a moment of a blast to create us all, nor billions of years. Creation took six days. On the seventh, God saw the work, declared it good, and rested.

You don’t have to force a puzzle piece and try to justify faulty science. Creation is not a forced piece of the puzzle; it’s a perfect fit.

Did we evolve from apes?

We were the same then as we are now. We were never apes nor will we ever be apes.

We are human. The theory Of evolutionis man’s way of distilling the truth to force a piece into a puzzle that they don’t fit in unless God’s there too.

We will never be a kind that God never wanted us to be, and that is pure fact.

How is this true?

The difference between the Big Bang and the Big Bam is that one secludes God (and was, in fact) created to justify the claim that we can live without Him) and the other is the right puzzle piece.

And that is the only difference.

It’s funny how close, yet so far away, scientists are from the answer — they aren’t missing a link, they’re missing the point. Not to mention that they’re not just missing a link, they’re missing almost everything that should support their “facts.”

It is that we were created from dust, not stardust.

We were created from God’s voice, not by an exploding hydrogen atom.

We haven’t changed into another species (and never will) because God made us who He wants us to be.

The only missing puzzle piece is that they are hiding from themselves the truth that they aren’t their own gods. That is what hurts most scientists, the fact that there is a being who is higher than they are.

So how can we ever accept this to be true?

Faith. Faith is what allows us to believe either the Big Bang or the Big Bam theories as fact. Eternal matter, or an eternal God? Man’s solution, or God’s solution?

But no matter what man tries to explain into existence, it’s merely forcing puzzle pieces. The theory of evolution in itself has changed: the first pioneers of the cause and the most modern proponents of its lies would disagree with each other, but both parties decry the others as wrong. Science is changing. God never changes — His evidence is that He inspired men over thousands of years apart (not minutes, or hours, but years) to write one continual history. That God created us all.

God spoke to them to tell them how and why we are.

Faith overpowers the Big Bang. Doubt is what created the theory in the first place.

Most scientists who believe in this want to be their own gods; they want to know that they are the most powerful people in the world, yet when they see the Bible they shudder.

The Big Bam Fact is what lets us all know how we all were really made — without the science fiction.

And if doubt clouds your mind I want you to remember the quotes you saw in the beginning. The top quote was called the Serenity Prayer. It says, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

When you hear about the Big Bang Theory, remember that we have God; and with faith, we have the wisdom to discern the truth.

Though the swamps were terrible, they were safer than any other place they suggested. Safe from the soldiers, the small team made the most of their resources. Though Gino was reluctant, it turned out that his argument was not needed. He tried to hold a sword for Caro’s sake, but he couldn’t. The narrow handle slipped out of his grasp no matter how Davis tried to help. Finally, Davis gave up and taught him to shoot: a skill that he wasn’t proud of but was good at. Often he would sit staring at it, and quite a few times he almost threw it into the mire.

Caro liked working with Davis. His training in warfare had been limited, because the only skill Nenya had known was fencing. She was only a girl when she was taken, but she had racked her brain until she remembered the practices of her brothers. Davis was pleased at what he knew, but pushed him to branch out. Under Davis’ instruction, he began to become a skilled warrior.

Strange things were happening in the marshes. They began to become hot, a change that frightened Gino. “It never gets this hot!” He protested, feeling the ground. “Not at this time of year! If it doesn’t go down soon, we’ll be in trouble from the insects and snakes.” Caro stared at him. “Snake? What’s a snake?” Gino sighed. “When you see one, you’ll know it.” Opal bowed her head. “There’s something definitely wrong here. I do hope the heat goes away.”

But the temperature only rose, and with it came insects, as Gino had predicted. They buzzed and swarmed and bit, and the people were tired of them. From the heat and the insects, Promise and Puss spent most of their time sleeping in hidden spots to escape the swarms. Gino was puzzled by the fact that the swamp only seemed hot in one place, and went off to find out why. Caro and Davis were used to the paths by then, but neither planned on exploring, remembering well their trouble when they had last left the path. They stayed with Opal and continued to train.

By this time Opal had a small house to herself, and she stayed in it and spun, to avoid the insects and the air rising off of the swamp. Caro was rubbing his hands and Davis was standing a little ways off, staring after Gino. “How long will he be gone?” “No telling. It’s Gino: he doesn’t tell me much. I think I’ll go get some water. I’ll be back.” Caro ran off, leaving Davis alone staring after Gino. Though the soldier would never admit it, he had trusted Gino to make sure that nothing bad happened, because he felt very uncomfortable about the swamps.

Behind him he heard a crack, creak, crash! He turned to see a snake slip into the water, and Opal’s little house collapsed over her. “Caro? Gino?” He called, running over and trying to see where she had gone. It seemed like the house had swallowed her. “Miss Opal, ma’m. Are you all right?” There was a sharp intake of breath, and her voice came out softly. “I think the floor is giving way.” Davis swallowed. “Calm down. You’re a soldier, for goodness sake!” He told himself, and began to pull the structure away. He saw her hands, and they were clutching tightly to a basket. Promise barked and struggled to get out of the muck.

“Ok, a girl, a cat, and a dog. Caro! Hurry!” He reached in and grabbed Promise’s tail, the closest thing to him. He pulled him out, and the dog shook himself, licked Davis, and began to bark furiously. The soldier tried to reach Opal, but she was still too far under the wood. “Dog, help me dig her out.” He panted, trying to get more planks under her than above her, while still holding onto the solid ground with one hand. Promise barked and began to dig.

Finally, Davis found her hands. Pussy took one look at him, hissed, and bounded onto the pad. He grabbed her and pulled her out with both hands. “There.” Davis sighed, and Promise wagged his tail. Opal’s sightless eyes were dilated so much that she looked like her eyes were dark. “We’re being pursued.” She whispered, comforting her cat. Promise jumped on Davis and began licking his face, just as Caro came back. “Agh, stop! Stop it, crazy dog! Get off!” He pushed him away, and Promise skipped over to see Caro.

“So, I guess you like dogs.” Caro joked, as the thankful dog once again tried to lick Davis’s face. “No, sir, I do not. Especially not this one.” Davis said, with great conviction and embarrassment. Caro gaped at the broken house. “What did you do! Look! The pad is beginning to break up!” Davis stood unsteadily. “We need Gino back at once.” Caro nodded and ran to the edge. “Gino, where are you? Hurry!” Off in the distance they could hear the boy’s feet quicken, and they listened anxiously until he appeared. No one wanted to be stuck in the swamp without him.

However, our Creator gave our lives meaning – and He did the same with stories, too. God is the deciding factor in whether one believes there is a purpose for life and if one thinks there is a use for fiction.

Occasionally a sour internet troll will point out the apparent foolishness of fiction and the “meaninglessness” of completely fabricated worlds, lives, and struggles.

Spending hours at a time immersed in a story that never happened does seem wasteful or foolish at first sight, yet the Scripture, the life stories of Ronald Reagan and Albert Einstein, and especially the example of Christ point to a very different conclusion.

Stories shape societies, transform minds, and unleash scientifically useful creativity in ways that non-fiction and academic writing can rarely accomplish. Christians should utilize and embrace stories. The concept that stories are meaningless, if not a humanist idea, is a misguided one.

Stories can change the moral state of world. That Printer of Udell’s, by Harold Bell Wright, inspired Ronald Reagan to take a stand and become a Christian – stirring convictions that later motivated him to become involved in politics and later, to run for President. Children’s bedtime stories influence not just playtime, but their lives. Young adult fiction moves teenagers to study different subjects or even pursue different careers. Classic books have molded generation after generation of readers.

Literature shapes morality and life choices, for better or for worse.

From a moral point of view, stories are invaluable; but when it comes to practical critical thinking skills and science, fiction is usually regarded as “worthless.” That is likewise not true.

Albert Einstein disagreed: “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

Nonsense stories spur creativity and critical thinking. Is it possible for a frog to turn into a prince, or vice-versa? Does it make sense for something to be bigger on the inside? Can people fly if they try hard enough?

Some nonsense technology in the 1960s television show Star Trek has actually come to pass; not because of the show, of course, but it does demonstrate an important factor in human invention: imagination. Considering the impossible and exploring the unreachable is a big part of changing the world.

In addition to shaping societal morals, encouraging imagination and invention, spurring critical thinking, and influencing lives, fiction shows us ourselves in a new light. In 2 Samuel, the Prophet Nathan does not rebuke David directly for his adultery and murder. Nathan explained the situation in an unconventional way: through a story. David became indignant at what Nathan told him about the man in the story (who, despite having many sheep, stole a poor man’s only lamb).

He said, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” After Nathan explained that it was David who had committed the act when he killed Uriah for Bathsheba, he saw the sin in an entirely new light. Stories show us ourselves and reveal the truth even when we likely don’t want to hear it.

Finally, Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Jesus’ parables and Nathan’s revelation to David are just a few Biblical examples of useful storytelling. They are stories with a purpose, a direct theme, that cut to the deepest corners of men’s hearts.

Storytelling is another way to imitate Christ — and change the world to boot.

In stunned silence the children of Israel watched as the waters opened and the massive winds split them right down the middle. What was it that Moses had said? “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord that he will work for you this day. For the Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. The LORD will Fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Ex 14:13-14) They were silent now. They had been so absorbed by the miracle that they had almost forgotten about the attacking army behind them. But they remembered and made for the watery path. However, their pursuers followed closely, unwilling to let them go no matter what Moses conjured up.

After frantic trudging and trying to get all of their belongings through the watery chasm, the frightened people turned to see that the chariots were beginning their trek as well. But just as the people were beginning to complain, they stopped in silence. “The LORD will FIGHT for you, and you have only to be SILENT.” They heard again, as they watched the wheels break in the mud, the horses spook, and the wind die down. The waters crashed into place, and the Egyptians were dead, just like Moses had said. “For the Egyptians whom you see this day you shall never see again.”

God had killed them all. The Israelites had done nothing. As the people once again sat in silence, but Moses had other plans. Instead of being silent, he began to sing a song of thanksgiving. “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” As the song went on, Miriam and the women took it up and began to dance. “The LORD is my Strength and my Song, and he has become my Salvation. This is MY GOD and I will praise him, my FATHER’s GOD, and I will exalt him. THE LORD IS A MAN OF WAR, THE LORD IS HIS NAME.” (Ex 15:1-3)

Deborah and Barak knew that the LORD is a Man of War. They had watched a whole army succumb to his power as once again, the wheels of the chariots became mired in the field. The struggle was so one-sided that it seemed like the STARS were fighting for Israel. After the LORD defeated the enemy, Deborah and Barak began to sing in thanksgiving, singing a song that reflected that of Moses. “LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, even Sinai before the LORD, the God of Israel.” (Judges 5:4-5)

David knew the Warrior Elyon. He often was beset with hardship as he fled from Saul and later when he was King. Often his life was only safe through the watchful eyes of his God. He wrote that “God is our Refuge and our Strength, an ever present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46) He saw the Lord as he was: Loving, powerful, jealous, mighty, good, pure, just, merciful. Often we forget these in our emphasis on the first.

The Church through History has trusted in their Warrior-God. Though he has many, many attributes, this one gave them hope as they remembered that everything that happened to them was for His glory. They remembered that if they were about to be destroyed, their Warrior would defend them. “The LORD is a Man of War, the LORD is his Name!” May we not in times of peace forget that our God is a Warrior, as well as all those other things.

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law, and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans: they bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied.

The chief priests accused him of many things. Again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.”What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.”Crucify him!” they shouted. — Mark 15:1-13

The above scene is one of the most known of all stories in the Bible. It shows that even in the past there was sin everywhere, and that people rooted for it like they do today.

Jesus’ life was ended the moment the crowd voted “Barabbas.”

But even the tears shed in this story, and the inevitable death of Jesus Christ, were a good moments for God. That one perfect death had saved the lives of billions of imperfect ones.

It solidifies that Jesus came here for all of our sins, not specific ones. When Jesus was chosen against Barabbas He knew that the prisoner was a sinner above all men. When He saw the man he saw a cynical, evil mind, filled with a principle that we shall call “The Barabbas Principle“.

It is the principle that no matter what sin you can do, Jesus died for you. Our sins may be different, but we are all imperfect. We’re no better than any other sinner, and despite that, Jesus chose to die for us.

If he couldn’t die for the world’s evilest man, He couldn’t die for us. We are all Barabbas!

When Jesus saw Barabbas He saw a sinner, not a the world’s worst man (something that many present that day likely thought). When He saw all of us He saw a sinner. You can never be perfect: just being born made you a sinner, and that is not your fault.

You are the handiwork of God Himself, and He crafted you perfectly so you could be His in Christ, perfectly imperfect.

In James 2:10 it says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”

When you commit one sin, you tip the scale of perfection. Trying to be perfect will never earn you to heaven. It’s like trying to catch the wind: once you reach out, it has already slipped through your grasp. That is why Jesus died. So He could bring us all home to the Kingdom of Heaven and bridge the gap between ourselves and God.

The Love We Should Show.

Now that you know of the Barabbas Principle, you should see some of the reasons why He died for even the worst of men. And nothing says it more than Jesus on the Cross.

He died so all of our sins could be washed in His blood, to be purified and cleansed, to be able to follow Him into Heaven.

In 1 Corinthians 4:4-7 it explains that ‘ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Remind you of anybody?

This verse is telling the characteristics of love, but what I am seeing is a person who waited ages for us to come (patience), a person who traveled the world to help others (kindness), a person who was always content and never jealous of another, (does not envy), and is not angered even in the most trying circumstances (not angered).

Seem like anyone you know? It is the perfect description of Jesus Christ.

He is the definition of love because He is love. When you think of love, always think of Jesus, because nobody can lead a better example than God in the flesh.

He died so that we could have the chance of going to heaven; He lost His life trying to bring us to heaven. That is the kind of love we should show: we should bring love to every corner of the world. If Jesus died for the vilest of criminals, we should show mercy and love more than we do.

In order to show the Word you must be able to show His love.

We should show Jesus Christ like the love He showed for us …

He didn’t see just the sin in us, and neither should we. He saw that one step missing to heaven, He saw that one imperfection that set us off. Sin. Sin brought us more away than we think. Think of it this way:

You buy some nice white shoes, with a white suit or dress, and white gloves. Moments later a car speeds past and splatters your shoes with mud. Now you have imperfect shoes. Walking anywhere dirties your shoes, and any activity will eventually dirty your suit.

So what is left for you to do? You clean them.

God sent Jesus to die so that we could all shine without sin separating us from God and hindering our soul.

When Jesus saw the Barabbas, He saw what great things we could do when we work together in His name. He looked at us with eyes full of love — he died for us. He knew that we are sinners, yet he knew that through Christ, we could do amazingly good things.

When you see a person, do as Jesus did. Do not pass judgement on them, but sit there and show love — show the Barabbas Principle in action. It doesn’t matter to God what we have done, what matters is if we repent and change that counts. When you are speaking or talking or being a friend to another person, think of the kind, never-jealous, patient, truthful, and death-defying love that Jesus gave us.

Trials And Riches

In the paragraphs above, you learned about the Barabbas Principle and the love that we should show. You saw that we need to share love to anybody, no matter what their sin, because Jesus saw all of ours and yet still died for us.

He never denied anyone His love. Neither should we. But just like He did, we should also pay attention to the trials that we all face, to see the love God sends us all in his justice.

We should all review Genesis Chapters 6-7. God flooded the world because of its evil, because He saw that it could not be changed.

Noah was the only person who still followed God in His everyday life. God asked him to build an ark, and Noah spent months doing as He requested — in spite of the laughter, mockery, and doubt he faced.

And with that you probably know the rest of the story. Noah was picked on, yelled at, called crazy, and taunted for living the life God had called him to lead — to be the ‘crazy man building the ark’.

He was never tempted and he never doubted the things God had said would come to pass.

Trials like these strengthen us. In 1 Peter 5:10 it says, ‘And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.’

Just like in James 1:12 it says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

You will have trials, but in that instant to you will be strengthened and rewarded.

The times that you think, “God can’t work on me,” is the time He really is working in you and through you. In the book of Job, Job was tested by boils, deaths in the family, and loss of his herds, yet he stood and worshiped God throughout all trials he endured.

In the end, Job was rewarded because God saw that Job was a God-loving man.

Never let the trials of this world bring you down, because they are all rigged to lose.

In the book of Acts, when Paul was traveling to Philipi, he was beaten and flogged so badly he was covered in blood. Yet he didn’t let anybody stop him, even when he was shackled and thrown in prison.

Instead of being pessimistic (because he had no idea what was going to happen in that day) he and his friend who traveled with him literally sang his praise from a prison cell.

They were released from their chains when an earthquake opened the prison doors and made the walls collapse, but still they didn’t leave: instead they witnessed to the prison guards and inmates. If you keep faith and keep strong you will see that they aren’t hindrances but trampolines of faith that will bounce you back to the road you were on and higher.

Most people think that riches can make you better than another person and can fulfill your life. But I tell you this: when you die, will it matter about the giant mansion you have? No.

When you dies will it matter how much money you are worth? No.

In Ecclesiastes 4:4 it says, “Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless–like chasing the wind.”

It doesn’t matter about chasing what your neighbors have, because it is like wasting your life trying to catch the wind; it won’t matter when you leave earth. What matters is the things you do for others in Christ’ name, how you love, how you show mercy, how you follow Christ — how you recognize the implications of the Barabbas Principle (that Jesus died for everyone, even the “worst”) and act accordingly.

The riches you have in this world are all material things: they will meet their end whether you are here to see it or not. They won’t matter in the end. And no, I’m not saying that you should burn your clothes and house: what I am saying is that you can’t try being your neighbor, you need to be you — in Christ.

Items do not determine the contents of the soul. Your heart does. You can have everything in this world, yet you can still have nothing for eternity.

Trials and riches are two things that differ from each other like night and day.

Trials bring you closer to God, yet they are the most painful and most rewarding of all things. They let you see what strength God can give you in all moments.

The Barabbas Principle In Our Everyday Lives

When you look into the story of Jesus and Barabbas, always remember that no man on this earth is greater than another. We are all imperfect. That’s why Jesus, who is perfect, is here to wash our sins away.

Always remember that when Jesus saw Barabbas He never saw the amount of sins He did and the extent of them, He only saw that they were there. Jesus doesn’t see the side view of the sins we commit, but only the top view. He only sees them equally.

Do not stop a person from hearing the word because you think that their sin is bad enough that they don’t deserve forgiveness.

All sin is of the same size; all will have the same punishment and condemnation.

Always share love, because when you share love, you share Jesus. Allowing yourself to realize that all of us — whether rich or poor, in good standing of society or not, church member or not, criminal or not– are sinners and that Jesus did die for all of us, even those whom we recognize as the “worst” among us.

The Barabbas Principledemonstrates that prejudices are foolishness, that we should always be forgiving. Because God died for not just one person, but for all of us.

The Discussion at Hand

“Our economic freedom is founded on individual property rights; government should never be permitted to take those away.” – Ernest Istook

Property rights have been the subject of a centuries-long political struggle – who has the right to own what, how much can they own, and are others allowed to take it from them?

From the theocracy of the ancient Israelites to the tribal-centric government operating under the Code of Hammurabi, almost all societies have come to the conclusion that taking another’s property is wrong, and that those who do so should be punished.

Most ancient laws against thievery were straightforward, with easy-to-grasp consequences and implications. Theorists and thinkers, for centuries, came to the conclusion that economies rely on property.

However, not until the 1500s did another issue come up entirely: intellectual property (known as IP). IP is exactly what its name suggests: “property” that is purely intellectual and ideological – for example, an idea, book, poem, word, plan, or catch-phrase.

The fuzzy litigation surrounding IP began around five hundred years ago. In the latter half of the 1500s, Queen Elizabeth I began issuing royal grants for monopoly privileges (common in the mercantilist economies of Europe during that time). It was the beginning of a complicated legal system surrounding IP, spanning many centuries and crossing over into the United States and almost every country in the world.

Copyrights, trademarks, and patents are the three main extensions of IP.

Copyrights are the most well known, offering a designer, author, or creator the exclusive rights to their work. Distribution, reproduction, sales, and advertising of the work are completely controlled within the copyright.

Trademarks are typically an easily recognizable symbol, sign, design, expression, or phrase of a particular organization, source, individual, or corporation legally controlled in its usage by the aforementioned entity.

Patents grant an inventor – or perhaps a creator who manages to get to the patent office first – the chance to completely restrict other producers from manufacturing, utilizing, selling, or importing a particular invention (for a limited amount of time).

Like most bad ideas, the idea of protecting IP through copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, and other government-enforced monopolistic contracts sounded like a good one at first.

Ideas Aren’t Scarce

IP laws offered a legal means by which to curb the vice of plagiarism (and the obvious annoyance of having an idea stolen).

But instead of helping the creative individuals in our society, IP laws stifle innovation, open a door for useless and costly litigation, and have backfired on the ones who needed their alleged benefits most. (More than one inventor can have the same idea, but only one can get a patent.)

All of these dreadful side effects have resulted from the underappreciated fact that intellectual property is not property.

While stealing ideas is clearly a moral downfall, government cannot stop it any more than government can prevent a child from thinking about slapping his brother. Government’s involvement in IP is impractical, at best, as it ignores the gaping gulf between the physical and the mental.

Ideas are thoughts; the extensions of thoughts may or may not be physical creations, but “stealing” an idea is not something easily tracked.

When an idea is “stolen,” there is neither a physical absence nor a for-sure method of verifying that the idea was stolen. There is not a way to track which man came up with the idea first.

One definition of economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. Cars, iPhones, timber, kittens, chocolate, paper, and homes are all physical resources that can be defined as scarce because they are tangibly limited. While the demand for the aforementioned items can be infinite, the creation and existence of said items cannot.

While cars will always have physical limits on their numbers – even if the entire universe existed to make cars, there would eventually be a shortage of the required resources – ideas have no limits. Ideas are infinitely reproducible. “Stealing” an idea does not deprive its original owner of the idea, unlike stealing a car would.

News flash: ideas are infinitely reproducible.

Ideas are an incredibly important basis for an economy. Despite that they are hugely marketable, they are not – by definition – a physical part of any given economy. They can’t be.

In a purely ideological sense, IP laws are not valid. But in a more practical sense, IP laws are a drain and constant source of stress to innovators.

While having a patent will protect an inventor from theft, there’s nothing that can be done before the patent is obtained – and what’s even worse is when the thief is the one who gets to the patent office first. The costs outweigh the benefits.

Producers are oftentimes using patents to beat competitors upside the head, using the full force of the government in simple matters of industry competition. More of then not it’s a violation of free market principles and an interference in natural business-to-business relations.

It can backfire in a very painful, life-changing way. Historically, there are numerous examples of how IP laws have affected rightful inventors; IP laws are mainly used to punish competitors, not encourage innovation or even insure that credit is given where credit is due.

This either results in a business failure (almost always if there’s a small business involved) or it ends up in a massive lawsuit, which boils down to lawyers deciding who thought of what first.

A World Without IP Laws (a better one)

In a world without heavily enforced trademarks, copyrights, or patents, there would still be extensive innovation. Classic books in the “public domain” have no copyright, yet are even now bestsellers after a century – or maybe even more.

IP laws are not within the rightful scope of government, and IP itself is not within the bounds of a physical economy. It’s long past time that the experiment in IP laws end.

Plagiarism is morally wrong, yet its absence is impossible to enforce. “Pirating” is sometimes unethical, but creating laws to punish it does nothing but expand a rent-seeking sector.

Jeffery Tucker put it this way:

“… Ninety-nine percent of the patents issued are never used. Most patents just sit there like time bombs to blow up other attempts to enter the market. They don’t inspire people to invent; they inspire people to use parasitic methods to stop others from inventing.

What a strange system of central planning it all is! You can’t have free enterprise when the government is slicing and dicing ideas and assigning monopolistic titles to them. The purpose of property and prices is to provide for the peaceful allocation of scarce resources. Ideas, once public, are no longer scarce.

As Thomas Jefferson said in a letter from 1813: “If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea . . . He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.”

If I had created the virtues, then I would have puzzled over a pair. What can I say? My tiny mind is too small to comprehend the mystery of Justice and Mercy. They are inseparable, but they seem to contradict each other.

If I had created them, I would make the two Sisters. Wisdom would be their mother, the Law would be their father. Justice would be a strong, unswerving girl, who would not stop for anything. Her indignation at the wickedness of the world was descended from her solemn father, and she does not shrink from death. She becomes furious when she sees the rich oppressing the helpless, and would like to slay them on sight, but her sister must hold her back.

Mercy will be still during these circumstances, tears running down her cheeks. Like Justice, her bold sister, Mercy wishes that she could stop the wicked, but her own nature makes her wait and chain back her sister to hope against hope that they will repent. If they do not, she reluctantly releases Justice, who swoops down upon them in her nature and destroys them.

Also, if I had created Truth and Love, they would be Brothers. By themselves, they were good, but when they mesh together they become a force that only the hardest heart can overcome. Truth would lose its sting, and Love would lose its gullibility. Together, they would be invincible.

How can it be that such strange characters are intertwined? They were created together, work together, and do not clash once. It is only when we leave the path of Godliness that these siblings begin to quarrel. Justice tries to overrule Mercy, who in turn forgets to hem back her sister and tries to save everyone. Love and Truth become at odds with each other and are quickly overpowered. It is only when we seek the Lord that these four can invite their little sister, Peace.

And maybe, even though these are the foolish musings of a young girl, there really is a place for these characters. Though we will never truly understand the Mystery of Justice and Mercy, Truth and Love, or even Faith and Works, I think that we will someday, when the apparent contradictions melt away to reveal their true unmasked natures. When will that be? In Glory.